Improvement in velocipede



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Letters Patent No. 92,528, dated July 13, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT IN VELOCIPEDE.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making pa'rt 0f the same.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ltronAno O. Hmmnnes, of New Haven, in the county of New Haven, and State of Connecticut, have in ented a new and useful Improvement in velocipedes; and I do hereby declare that the following .is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

This invention relates to a new and improved method of constructing and operating velocipedes, whereby they are made more durable, and at less expense, than heretofore; and

It consists in rotating a traction-wheel, by means of a traversing-wheel bearing on its inner surface, and revolved by the operator within the rim of the wheel, as hereinafter more fully described.

I n the accompanying sheet of drawings- Figure 1 represents a side elevation of the machine.

Figure 2 is a vertical section through the line ."0 a; of fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A is the traction-wheel, which may be made of either wood or metal, or a combination of both, and of any desired diameter, but snfficiently large to allow the operator room therein for operating the same, as seen in the drawing.

B is the traversing-wheel, which is revolved on a track or rib on thcinner surface of the tractionwhcel. v

0 represents the reach, which curves downward, with its end provided with guide-pulleys, c, which run on and bear against the track, as seen.

D is the saddle, which is attached to -the reach,-

with arms extending down from each side, by which .the traversing-wheel is supported.-

E is a double band-wheel, which is supported on a shaft attached to the reach, the two band-wheels being attached to the ends of the shaft, and revolved by means of cranksff, in the outer sides of the wheels, as seen in'fig. 2; 7

Motion is imparted from the double band-wheel E to the traverse-wheel B by means of the bands G G, one of which passes over each of the band-wheels E, and around the pulleys H H, on the shaft of the travcrsc-whcel B.

It will be seen that the weight of the operator rests on the traverse-wheel, and that the tendency is to make the point of contact between the traverse-wheel B and the traction-wheel A forward of the centre of gravity of the latter wheel. This, of course, causes that wheel to revolve with a velocity proportioned to the speed imparted to the wheel B.

In this example of my invention, the bands G pass around tighteningpulleys c t, which pulleys may be made adjustable, so that the bands may be kept tight ing, balancing, or stopping the motion of the machine.

The seat or saddle is designed to be so placed that the preponderance of weight contained within the wheel A shall be below the centre. 7

J represents an awning over the operator, supported from the reach 0, as seen in the drawing.

'lhe traverse-wheel B and the pulleys so are grooved, and run on a rib, m, on the inner surface of the main wheel, which forms the track and guide for the traverse-wheel and pulleys.

The propelling-power is applied to the band-wheels E by means of the hand-cranks f f, leaving the feet of the operator at all times free.

In starting the velocipede, the first movement is given by the opera-tors running or walking a short distance on the ground while astride the saddle. When a start is thus obtained, the motion is readily continued by turning the pulleys E with the hands.

\Vhen the weight is below the centre, and the feet near the ground, and always free, very little difficulty is experienced in balancing and guiding the machine; and, as numerous experiments have proved, the ease with which it is worked and the velocity obtained render it quite equal, if not superior to any velocipede in use, while the expense of constructing them is-far less.

Having thus described my invention,

I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1 1. In combination with a single-wheel velocipede, the reach 0, with its guide-pulleys e e, and traverse wheel B, arranged spbst-antially as and for the purposes herein shown and described.

2. The combination of the traction-wheel A with the traverse-wheel B, substantially as and for the purposes herein shown and described.

RICHARD O HEMMINGS.

Witnesses GEO. A. STEWART, JACOB ANDREA. 

